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Orlando injury scare and Wizards doubts: Southeast Division roundup
A major setback for the Magic with Noah Penda’s hamstring tear, while the Wizards are sweating on AJ Dybantsa’s status heading into opening night.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
There were no games on the slate for the Southeast Division yesterday, but the news wire was busy anyway, with a serious injury in Orlando and some opening-night concern in Washington overshadowing a wave of roster moves around the division.
Orlando Magic: bad news on Noah Penda
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Noah Penda suffered a partial tear in his right hamstring during the Magic’s preseason finale against the Heat on Friday. Those same reports indicate he’s expected to miss “significant time.” No timetable has been set for his return yet. It’s an early blow for Orlando, which sits at 3-1 in Southeast play and now has to navigate the start of the regular season without one of its pieces.
Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa in doubt for opener
In Washington, ESPN reports that there’s some uncertainty over whether No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa will be available when the Wizards host Milwaukee on Wednesday to open the regular season. Dybantsa exited Friday’s preseason finale against the Pelicans after rolling his ankle, putting his opening-night status in question. On the roster front, the Wizards (2-2 in the division) filled their open two-way slot by converting Reece Beekman’s Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract. The 25-year-old point guard logged 36 regular season appearances with the Warriors and Nets in 2024/25 after going undrafted out of Virginia.
Miami Heat: Giannis settling in, camp invitees waived
In Miami (3-2 in the division), Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, as relayed by Hoops Rumors, writes that Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the new star in town but his on-court fit with the Heat is looking more natural as the regular season nears. He sat out Friday’s preseason finale but had recently put together another overpowering outing earlier in the preseason. The Heat also made a batch of roster cuts, waiving Ezra Ausar, Kylor Kelley, Gabe Madsen and Bez Mbeng. All four were on Exhibit 10 contracts and are expected, per Hoops Rumors, to head to Sioux Falls with Miami’s G League affiliate.
Atlanta Hawks: roster set, former pick waived elsewhere
The Atlanta Hawks (4-1 in the Southeast) made the anticipated move of waiving forward Cameron Corhen and guard Kobe Johnson, their final two camp invitees. With those cuts, Atlanta’s regular season roster is effectively set at 15 standard contracts. Elsewhere, a recent first-rounder with Atlanta ties is on the move: the Pelicans waived Kobe Bufkin and Jalon Moore, trimming down to the regular season limit. Bufkin, the 15th pick in the 2023 draft by the Hawks, had been trying to reboot his career in New Orleans after two seasons with Atlanta.
Charlotte Hornets: final cuts and a familiar Orlando name
The Charlotte Hornets (1-3 in divisional play) moved closer to the roster limit by waiving guards Jarkel Joiner and Latrell Wrightsell. Joiner, a 6'1" point guard who went undrafted out of NC State in 2023, previously had Exhibit 10 stints with Atlanta. Finally, one former Magic forward may be heading overseas: per Eurohoops, via Hoops Rumors, Kevin Knox is in discussions with Spanish club Unicaja Malaga after being waived by Orlando on Friday night, following a training camp run with the Magic.